Trolley-catcher.



PATENTED SEPT. 1', 1908.

M. G. DELANE'Y.

TROLLEY GATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1907.

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MICHAEL G. DELANEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM DEGENHABT, OF

BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed August 30, 1907. Serial No. 390,738.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, h IIOHAEL G. DELANEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit,'in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in T rolley-Catchers and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to trolley catching devices, and is designed for use in connection with electric railways.

The invention consists in the construction and association of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed. l

The object of the invention is to produce a trolley catching device electrically controlled by a llow of current from the trolley pole or circuit leading to the motor, whereby upon the trolley Wheel leaving the over-head conductor, said device will be actuated to prevent the trolley pole flying upwardly through the action of its upwardly impelling spring and violently encountering the cross wires which support the over-head conductor, obviating injury to said cross wires and to said pole.

The invention further contemplates an arrangement whereby upon returning the trolley into operative relation with said conductor, the parts are restorcwl to their normal position in readiness fora succeeding operation, in which position a vertical movement of the pole is permitted with in the limits required under conditions of actual use.

he above object is attained by the struc- -ture illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1' is a view showing the rear end of a trolley car and illustrating in a'goneral waythe application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the trolley catching mechanism which comprises an clectroanagnet with a pivotcd armature adapted to engage a ratchet wheel scoured to a spring actuated drum upon which the trolley rope is wound. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is 'a fragmentary view showing the shaft of the drum in transverse section and the coiled s )ring which is attached at one end to said wheel of the drum.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates a trolley car carrying the usual spring actuated trolley pole 2 having at its upper end a wheel 3 adapted to have engagement with the over-head conductor 1. Leading from the trolley pole and in electrical con nection therewith is a circuit wire 5 which conveys the electrical energy from the trolley pole to the motor on the car, not shown.

Upon the rear dash of the car is a suitable housing 6 in which. is located a rotary drum 7 journaled upon a sh aft 8 which is mounted at its inner end in a suitable base plate 9. Secured to said drum a ratchet wheel 10. Embracing the shaft 8 between the ratchet s aft, and at the other end to the ratchet wheel and the base plate 9 is a coiled spring '11, one end of which is secured to said shaft and the other end to the ratchet wheel, as shown in 4. Connected with the trolley pole at one end in the usual manner is a rope 12, the other end of said rope being wound upon the drum 7.

Located within the housing 6 and mounted upon a suitable plate 13 is an clectro-mag net 14. Pivotcd at 15. to said plate within the field of said magnet is a detent armature 16, the free end of which stands adjacent to the teeth of the ratchet 10. \Yhilc the armature remains energized by the passage of an which is grounded on the truck frame of the car. By this arrangement whilca current is flowing through the wire 5 H10 nmgncl rcinains energized and the armature is raised from engagement with lhc ratchet wheel. a condition which obtains while the trolley polo remains in contact with the over-head conductor. Should the trolley leave the overhead conductor, the flow of current to the magnet will at once cease, permitting the armature tofall and lock the ratchet wheel, .as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig.2, preventing. the unwinding of-the rope 12 from the drum 7., and restraining the trolley pole .against springing upwardly, thereby preventing injury .to the cross wires and the "polel U on restoring the trolley wheel to theoveread conductor, current will again flow through'the magnet, thereby raising the armature and releasing the rate iet wheel.

Asthe distance between the top of the car and the over-head conductor varies, it is if; necessary to provide for the vertical move- -,ment of thetrolley and consequently for the yunwinding of the rope from the drum and thewindin g of the rope thereon. This is ac complished by means of the coiled spring 11 which as before stated is connected to the shaft 8 and to the ratchet wheel 10, the arrangement being such that as the rope winds drum and kee 'ng said rope always taut.

'.T o enablet e 'detent armature 16 to be disengaged from the ratchet wheel without energizing the electro-magnet, there is attached to the'free end thereof a rod or cord 19, the upper end of which projects through the-housing, asshown inFig. 1, and enables the armature to be raised. by an upward pull thereon to disengage it from the ratchet wheel.

Having thus fully setforth my invention,

severe What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letterslate'nt, is:

1. in a trolley catching device, the combi nation with an over-head conductor, of a trolley ole carrying a wheel in engagement with-said conductor, a rope attached to the trolley pole, a spring actuated druni upon which a portion of the rope is wound, adetent for restraining the rotation ef'the drum, means for electrically actuating said detent to release saiddrum, said detent actuating means being in circuit with the trolley pole, and a cord attached to said detent for actuating it to release the armature independently of the operation of said electrically actuated meansv In a trolley catching device, the combi nation of an over-head conductor, a trolley pole in engagement therewith, a rope attached to the trolley pole, a spring actuated drum upon which a portion of the rope is wound, a ratchet wheel upon said drum a detent' armature pivotally mounted at one end.

and at the bther end engaging said ratchet wheel for restraining the rotation of said drum, an electro magnet for actuating said armature, said magnet being in circuit with the trolley pole, and means for disengaging the armature'from said ratchet wheelindependently of the operation of said electro gnet.

n testimony whereof, I sign this specificai in the presence of two witnesses MICHAEL G. DELANEY.

Witnesses E. S. WHEELER, WM. R. SHERWOOD. 

